History Music / FranzLiszt

As a child prodigy, Liszt was stage-managed by his father Adam (who played cello in the Esterházy family's orchestra under the baton of Music/JosephHaydn, and through whom the teenaged Liszt met Music/LudwigVanBeethoven and Music/FranzSchubert at least once each), until he dropped dead in 1827. Liszt entered a self-imposed exile until the 1830s. After coming out of seclusion, he toured for nine years in Europe, and accrued a devoted fanbase comparable to that of today's pop stars. When Liszt got tired of touring, he settled in Weimar, where he first met that young hotshot composer Creator/RichardWagner. They were musical kindred spirits, with a flair for the dramatic. Liszt actually premiered several of Wagner's operas. After 15 years in Weimar, Liszt moved to Rome. Though Liszt was quite the womanizer, he was a practicing Roman Catholic; nonetheless, his decision to become a priest shocked everyone. After he took up the cloth, Liszt spent the last years of his life teaching in Rome, Weimar, and Budapest (which must have been quite the commute). Liszt died in 1886, without having his Last Rites, with his request to be buried simply in a monk's robe ignored.

* In ''Wiki/TheSCPFoundation'' lore Lisztomania was once considered an SCP.

He is mentioned as being dead in the song "Decomposing Composers" by Creator/MichaelPalin sang on Creator/MontyPython's ''Audioplay/MontyPythonsContractualObligationAlbum''.

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As a child prodigy, Liszt was stage-managed by his father Adam (who played cello in the Esterházy family's orchestra under the baton of Music/JosephHaydn, and through whom the teenaged Liszt met Creator/LudwigVanBeethoven and Music/FranzSchubert at least once each), until he dropped dead in 1827. Liszt entered a self-imposed exile until the 1830s. After coming out of seclusion, he toured for nine years in Europe, and accrued a devoted fanbase comparable to that of today's pop stars. When Liszt got tired of touring, he settled in Weimar, where he first met that young hotshot composer Creator/RichardWagner. They were musical kindred spirits, with a flair for the dramatic. Liszt actually premiered several of Wagner's operas. After 15 years in Weimar, Liszt moved to Rome. Though Liszt was quite the womanizer, he was a practicing Roman Catholic; nonetheless, his decision to become a priest shocked everyone. After he took up the cloth, Liszt spent the last years of his life teaching in Rome, Weimar, and Budapest (which must have been quite the commute). Liszt died in 1886, without having his Last Rites, with his request to be buried simply in a monk's robe ignored.

* RearrangeTheSong: A good chunk of his work consists of arrangements of other people's work, ranging from transcribing the symphonies of LudwigVanBeethoven to rebuilding the medieval ''Dies Irae'' into a DarkerAndEdgier piano concerto with lots of EpicRocking.

* DirectorsCut: The original ending of his Faust Symphony was a rather abrupt handful of bars celebrating Faust's apotheosis. A replacement ending instead featured a men's chorus supported by an organ, notably more [[LighterAndSofter tonal and glorious]] than the original ending which implied [[EvilIsCool Mephisto]] to be [[EsotericHappyEnding way more sympathetic]] than he would be in a classic good ending. JustifiedTrope since Liszt became [[FaithHeelTurn a clergyman later in life]].

As a child prodigy, Liszt was stage-managed by his father, until he dropped dead in 1827. Liszt entered a self-imposed exile until the 1830s. After coming out of seclusion, he toured for nine years in Europe, and accrued a devoted fanbase comparable to that of today's pop stars. When Liszt got tired of touring, he settled in Weimar, where he first met that young hotshot composer Creator/RichardWagner. They were musical kindred spirits, with a flair for the dramatic. Liszt actually premiered several of Wagner's operas. After 15 years in Weimar, Liszt moved to Rome. Though Liszt was quite the womanizer, he was a practicing Roman Catholic; nonetheless, his decision to become a priest shocked everyone. After he took up the cloth, Liszt spent the last years of his life teaching in Rome, Weimar, and Budapest (which must have been quite the commute). Liszt died in 1886, without having his Last Rites, with his request to be buried simply in a monk's robe ignored.

* AscendedFanboy: Liszt became friends with composer [[TheMentor Hector Berlioz]].

* FriendlyRivalry: with Music/FryderykChopin.

* OldGuardVersusNewBlood: The ''War of the Romantics''. Liszt was [[TheLeader the informal leader]] of ''New German School'', a loose group of German composers who wrote progressive music [[TheMentor inspired by Hector Berlioz and Robert Schumann]]. [[TheLancer His most important fellow]] was his friend and son-in-law Music/RichardWagner. Their opponents, the conservatives, were greater in numbers and support and included Music/JohannesBrahms, Music/FelixMendelssohn, and [[FaceHeelTurn Schumann's widow]] Music/ClaraSchumann. Interestingly, both sides heraled Music/LudwigVanBeethoven as their idol. The war was somewhat settled when Arnold Schoenberg clarified during the early 20th century, that Brahms and Wagner were NotSoDifferent and [[TakingAThirdOption took them both]] as a basis for his new music, the twelve tone technique, [[FromBadToWorse creating a whole new schism between classical music and his radical compositions]].

** Liebestraum No. 3 is far more gentle than his usual work, partially [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] far since it still requires virtuoso piano skills.

* EpicRocking: Sonata in B minor. Performances finish around 30 minutes. It's considered one of the most {{Badass}} pieces of Classical Music.

* FaithHeelTurn: Became an Abbé later in in life.

** AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Franz Liszt himself considered Charles-Valentin Alkan the best pianist of his time.

* EpicRocking: ''Sonata in b minor''. Performances finish around 30 minutes. It's considered one of the most {{Badass}} pieces of Classical Music.

* FriendlyRivalry: with FryderykChopin.
* UsefulNotes/TheGreatNorthernWar: "Mazeppa" is a symphonic poem based on this.
* GriefSong: He wrote ''dark'' tunes after the death of his son-in-law RichardWagner, dedicated to him.

** EstrogenBrigade: Not surprisingly given his dashing good looks and flowing hair.

* OldGuardVersusNewBlood: The ''War of the Romantics''. Liszt was [[TheLeader the informal leader]] of ''New German School'', a loose group of German composers who wrote progressive music [[TheMentor inspired by Hector Berlioz and Robert Schumann]]. [[TheLancer His most important fellow]] was his friend and son-in-law Music/RichardWagner. Their opponents, the conservatives, were greater in numbers and support and included Music/JohannesBrahms, Music/FelixMendelssohn, and [[FaceHeelTurn Schumann's widow]] Music/ClaraSchumann. Interestingly, both sides heraled Music/LudwigVanBeethoven as their idol. The war was somewhat settled when Arnold Schoenberg clarified during the early 20th century, that Brahms and Wagner were NotSoDifferent and [[TakingAThirdOption took them both]] as a basis for his new music, the twelve tone technique, [[FromBadToWorse creating awhole new schism between classical music and his radical compositions]].

* SurprisinglyGentleSong: Liebestraum No. 3 is far more gentle than his usual work, partially [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] far since it still requires virtuoso piano skills.

* TropeCodifier: He codified the symphonic poem, a piece of music that illustrates an non-musical source, building on the [[TropeMaker innovations]] of Music/HectorBerlioz.

He is the composer of the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, immortalized in the cartoons WesternAnimation/TheCatConcerto and WesternAnimation/RhapsodyRabbit as ''the'' definitive concert piano music.

* GreatNorthernWar: "Mazeppa" is a symphonic poem based on this.

* CreatorBreakdown: After his father (who actively tried to make a genius out of him) died in 1827, he didn't know what to do with his life and fell into depression.
** HesBack: And how. [[CreatorRecovery He started giving concerts again]] and became the greatest piano player of his time.

* TropeCodifier: He invented the symphonic poem, a piece of music that illustrates an non-musical source.

Before there was Beatlemania, there was {{Lisztomania}}. Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 –- 31 July 1886) was the TropeCodifier for all music stars that came after him. (Violinist Niccolo Paganini was the UrExample, for anyone interested.)

He is the composer of the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, immortalized in the cartoons TheCatConcerto and [[BugsBunny Rhapsody Rabbit]] as ''the'' definitive concert piano music.

* FriendlyRivalry : with FryderykChopin

* StandardSnippet: Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2. If someone on screen is shown playing classical piano, odds are pretty decent they will be playing this piece.

* GroupieBrigade: He had one of the first.

* {{Bishonen}}: In his younger years.

Before there was Beatlemania, there was {{Lisztomania}}. Franz Liszt was the TropeCodifier for all music stars that came after him. (Violinist Niccolo Paganini was the UrExample, for anyone interested.)